10 Advent Calendars You Need In Your Life This Holiday Season

It is the most wonderful time of the year. While I’m personally more of a fall girl, I also go pretty hard for the Christmas spirit. I love the lead up to Christmas the most; the excitement in the air (or is that just the cold?), the undercurrent of anticipation that lightly gnaws on your stomach when you find that perfect present, the syrupy sweetness that, any other time of year would be incredibly nauseating, is weirdly perfect. And there is nothing quite like an advent calendar for building up that anticipation of the good things to come.

The advent calendar has really evolved over the last few years. Primarily made for kids to give them a little something to hold them over until the big day, they used to just be a cardboard calendar filled with chocolate. Not that there’s anything wrong with 24 days of chocolate, but it’s a little boring. The good thing is that now, we have more options beyond just chocolate.

Advent calendars for adults have become a thing and — holy moly! — they are so much fun. Just because we’re grownups doesn’t mean we don’t like getting a little something to build up to Christmas either. The advent calendar for adults is way more than just chocolate; they’re filled with things that grownups actually want, whether it’s cheese, booze, or skin care.

Beauty advent calendars are probably the most popular, filled with samples (and sometimes full-size) beauty products like lotions and fragrances. But who can resist an advent calendar filled with wine, cheese or little toys? Take a peek at these awesome advent calendars for adults and move quick before they’re gone!

After making waves last year, despite being only released in the UK and parts of Europe, the cheese advent calendar is finally making its way to the United States. The 24 individually wrapped, delicious mini cheeses range from Applewood to Jarlsberg, and it will be available in 247 Target locations around the country.

I’m obsessed with nail polish, and if you’re anything like I am, then you probably need this calendar. Inspired by the new film, Disney’s The Nutcracker and the Four Realms, there are 25 (!!) mini-nail polishes in a beautiful variety of colors perfect for the holidays and beyond.

With winter, comes the cold, and nothing takes the chill off like a nice cup of tea. This calendar, full of teas made in France has 24 different blends. You get black, green, herbal and rooibos teas, but some contain almond notes, so beware of nut allergies.

This is probably the most popular advent calendar for adults out there; last year they sold out in four weeks. You get 12 glasses of wine (red and white) from Italy, France, Spain and other world renowned vineyards. This year, there is also the possibility (1 in 10) of getting the special “golden bottle,” which means you would get wine for the entirety of 2019! So hurry up and pre-order.

Fragrance fans, this is for you. You get 17 samples of handcrafted, natural, long lasting scents made in France. These scents include Clementine, Tuberose, Vanilla, and Bergamot. In addition to the fragrance samples, you also get four bath and body samples. With so many options, you may find your next signature scent.

Know someone who likes a nice vodka or bourbon? Then you’re in luck. The Heritage Distillery calendar has several handcrafted varieties of spirits, with several flavored vodkas, bourbons, gin and rye. You get 24 50ml bottles, which could come in handy for getting through holidays with the in-laws.

Who doesn’t love Disney? Honestly, this one’s for adults and kids. The Animators’ Collections are adorable, and here’s a chance to have 24 new minis, including characters from Frozen, Tangled, and Lilo and Stitch in their holiday finest. They’re so cute.

Lipstick lovers will be especially pleased with this advent calendar from NYX Professional Makeup. You get 24 new shades, including 14 mid-size lip colors. You also get highlighters, eyeshadows and blush to create the perfect holiday face.

There are other fun adult advent calendars on the horizon like wine and cheese calendars from Aldi, which will finally be released in the US this year, or from Yankee Candle. With so many to choose from, it might be hard to decide on just one. But why limit yourself when you can treat yourself!

Editors may receive samples and/or a share from purchases made via links on this page. All opinions are our own.

We use cookies to collect information from your browser to personalize content and perform site analytics. On occasion, we also use cookies to collect information from our toddlers, but that’s a totally different thing.
Visit our Privacy Policy for more info.